Noah Syndergaard, Mets shut out Royals following ring ceremony

Published 7:59 pm, Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Noah Syndergaard talks with catcher Travis d’Arnaud, right, during the first inning on Tuesday.

Noah Syndergaard talks with catcher Travis d’Arnaud, right, during the first inning on Tuesday.

Photo: Orlin Wagner — The Associated Press

Noah Syndergaard, Mets shut out Royals following ring ceremony

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. >> New York Mets right-hander Noah Syndergaard was amused when Kauffman Stadium’s speakers played “America Woman” as he trotted out to the mound for the first inning.

The standing-room only crowd of 39,782 fans drowned out the music with its boos.

Syndergaard silenced the fans with six dominant innings, Neil Walker hit his first homer with the Mets and New York beat Kansas City 2-0 Tuesday after the Royals were given their 2015 World Series rings.

Syndergaard (1-0) was the only pitcher to beat the Royals in the World Series last year, winning Game 3 after intentionally throwing his first pitch above Alcides Escobar’s head. Escobar started this one with a triple, but then Syndergaard struck out the next three batters and retired 12 straight before Kendrys Morales’ double opened the fifth.

“That’s not the result I wanted, a leadoff triple, but I gained a lot of momentum after that,” Syndergaard said. “I just went about my game plan.”

Syndergaard allowed three hits, walked one and struck out nine.

Mets manager Terry Collins knew Syndergaard would not be intimated by the surroundings.

Syndergaard pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth, striking out Morales on three swings.

“We had the bases loaded in the sixth and he threw Morales a 95, 93 and 93 mph slider that there is not a man on this earth I believe could hit any of those pitches,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “I even asked George (Brett), `Do you think you could even foul any of those off?’ and he said, `No way.”’

The Royals went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position.

The Mets acquired Walker in a December trade with Pittsburgh. He homered off Chris Young (0-1) in the fourth after Yoenis Cespedes walked. That was the first hit Young allowed.

“I tried to throw a fastball away, behind in the count 1-0,” Young said. “He put a good swing on it and that was the difference in the game. I got outpitched.”

Young was pulled after five innings and 93 pitches, allowing three hits and three walks while striking out four.

The Mets loaded the bases in the seventh on two walks and a single, but Luke Hochevar retired Cespedes on a fly ball to Escobar to end the threat.

Jeurys Familia, who blew all three save opportunities he had in the 2015 World Series, pitched a spotless ninth for his first save this season.

Contingency plans

With Mets RHP Jacob deGrom’s wife expecting a baby this week, he might be summoned to Florida for the birth and be unavailable to start the home opener Friday against the Phillies. Manager Terry Collins said they could start LHP Steven Matz or RHPs Matt Harvey or Bartolo Colon on Friday. Colon is penciled in for the Saturday start, while Harvey started the opener Sunday at Kansas City and would have his normal four days of rest.

Mets sign catcher

The Mets signed C Rene Rivera to a minor league contract and assigned him to their Triple-A Las Vegas affiliate. Rivera, 32, has a .211 average with 20 home runs and 92 RBIs over 334 major league games with the Mariners, Padres, Twins and Rays.